doublegunshop.com - home Forums General Discussion DoubleGun BBS @ doublegunshop.com Using a hammergun?

There are more opinions about hammer guns as there are grains of sand in the Sahara. Just talking from my own experience hammer guns are like horses for courses some are good for one situation while others are for different situations. I find that this cocking both hammers of a gun with your thumb, I have only been able to do this with non rebounding locks and not all of the ones I have owned could I do that. If you have large hands and thumbs with the power to bend nails you are lucky myself just mister average. Though in my younger days I was taught by a man who only used hammer guns all his shooting life, I will say here that his thoughts about hammerless ejector guns was put in a short sentence "like owning a dog with no ears and then hunt in the grass for the spent cartridges." I do use both but deep down I do prefer to use a hammer gun when the situation lends its self to its use. Walking with both hammers cocked was a practice frowned upon here in the field. I was thought in the field walk with the barrels pointing skywards when you see the chance of a shot bring the gun up to your shoulder bringing the hammer closest to your thumb to full cock all in the same movement, for a second shot slide the gun off your shoulder downwards to a position that you can cock the other hammer and remount the gun. I have two hammer guns I did regularly use the expensive one now though in the 1960s that was a scrapper and I purchased it as a wall hanger but after measuring the barrels they where still in proof so spent some cash for what you see today. This gun is a dream on driven Grouse pheasant and Pigeon it has 2 1/2 in chambers 30 inch barrels and no choking at all just two pure cylinder's well it was built before people thought of such things. The other is an Adams quarter choke and improved cylinder 2 1/2 inch chambers 30 inch barrels with a Jones under leaver far lighter than the other gun its balance feels perfect when held in both hands also fast to use in every way. So choose a gun having what you require of it and practice.